1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to rotation transmission devices, and more particularly to spinning reel rotation transmission devices that transmit handle rotation to an oscillating mechanism for reciprocatingly shifting back and forth the spool fitted to the reel unit of the spinning reel.
2. Description of Related Art
As an example of a spinning-reel oscillating mechanism (reciprocative shifting mechanism), traverse cam systems are known. This oscillating mechanism has a worm (spirally threaded/grooved shaft for a worm gear) disposed parallel to the spool shaft and a slider engaged with the worm, with the spool shaft axially immovably fitted to the slider. The rotation transmission device for transmitting handle rotation to the worm has a pinion gear that meshes with a master gear rotating while being coupled with the handle rotation, and an intermediate gear that meshes with the pinion gear, with the intermediate gear being non-rotatably attached to one end of the worm.
Thus with the traverse-cam type of oscillating mechanism, the amount by which the spool travels per rotation of the rotor is determined by the lead angle of the worm (inclination of the worm thread from a plane perpendicular to the worm axis). This means that there is much space between the fishing line coils, which keeps the fishing line from winding onto the spool efficiently.
Therein, Japanese Laid-Open Pat. App. 1999-86 discloses an oscillating mechanism that reduces the amount of back-and-forth movement of the spool with respect to the handle rotation, enabling the fishing line to be wound closely onto the spool. The rotation transmission device for transmitting handle rotation to this oscillating mechanism is provided with: a pinion gear; a linking shaft disposed toward the oscillating mechanism along an axis offset from the pinion gear; a screw gear fixed to one end of the linking shaft and that meshes with the pinion gear; a worm gear fixed to the other end of the linking shaft; and a worm wheel non-rotatably fitted to the worm and that meshes with the worm gear. The linking shaft is rotatively supported in the reel unit, and flanks the spool shaft opposite an opening section sealed off by a reel unit lid.
Because the linking shaft is rotatively supported in the reel unit in the foregoing conventional close-winding rotation transmission device, machining the inside of the reel unit to maintain high linking-shaft mounting precision of the complexly formed reel unit interior that also supports a plurality of other shafts is difficult. If the linking-shaft mounting precision is not kept high, the inter-shaft distance between the linking shaft and the spool shaft, and between the linking shaft and the worm will fluctuate. Fluctuations in the inter-shaft distance diminish the meshing precision between the pinion gear and the screw gear, and the meshing precision between the worm wheel and the worm gear, degrading rotation transmission efficiency. Furthermore, to furnish a support structure for the linking shaft on the inside of the reel unit would bring about the need for building-in rib and boss structures on the reel unit inside, leading to reel-unit weight increases.
An object of the present invention is, in a rotation transmission device for transmitting handle rotation to a reciprocative shifting mechanism via a linking shaft, to maintain high linking-shaft mounting precision, and moreover attain a reel that overall is made lightweight.
Further because rotation transmission devices of this sort are configured with a plurality of gears, maintenance so as to maintain a state of high transmission efficiency becomes important. Maintenance entails the work of coating the gears with a lubricant such as grease. In the foregoing conventional configuration, however, the linking shaft is hidden behind the spool shaft, which makes it difficult to coat the gears with lubricant even with the reel unit lid open, hindering maintenance.
Another object of the present invention is to facilitate performing maintenance on a rotation transmission device.
A spinning-reel rotation transmission device as determined by a first aspect of the invention is a device which transmits handle rotation to a reciprocative shifting mechanism for reciprocatingly moving back-and-forth the spool fitted to the reel unit of the spinning reel, and is provided with: a pinion gear; a linking shaft; a first bearing; a second bearing; and a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear. The pinion gear is a gear to which the rotation of the handle is transmitted. The linking shaft is a shaft that is disposed along an axis offset from the pinion gear and enables linking of the reciprocative shifting mechanism and the pinion gear. The first bearing component is detachably fixed to the reel unit and rotatably supports one end of the linking shaft. The second bearing component is furnished on the reel unit and rotatably supports the other end of the linking shaft. The first gear is furnished on the linking shaft and meshes with the pinion gear. The second gear is furnished on the linking shaft at a different location from the first gear. The third gear is linked to the reciprocative shifting mechanism and meshes with the second gear.
With this rotation transmission device, when the handle is rotated, the pinion gear rotates correspondingly. The rotation of the pinion gear is transmitted to the first gear that meshes therewith, and the linking shaft rotates. This linking shaft is provided with a second gear in addition to the first gear, and the second gear also rotates when the linking shaft rotates. When the second gear rotates, the third gear that meshes therewith also rotates, the reciprocative shifting mechanism is actuated, and the spool is reciprocatingly shifted back and forth. One end of the linking shaft is supported by the first bearing component, which is detachably fixed to the reel unit, and the other end is supported by the second bearing component furnished on the reel unit. Therefore, just the second bearing component supporting the other end of the linking shaft needs to be built into the reel unit, and there is no need to build in the first bearing component. Accordingly, a high-precision first bearing component can be fabricated more easily and from fewer partsxe2x80x94just one bearing component having to be built into the reel unit with its complex shapexe2x80x94the precision of the second bearing component is easier to maintain; and the mounting precision of the linking shaft can be kept high. Furthermore, since the first bearing component has a simpler shape than when it is built into the reel unit, the reel overall is made lightweight.
The spinning-reel rotation transmission device as determined by a second aspect of the invention is the device according to the first aspect, further wherein the pinion gear is a screw gear and the first gear is a screw gear that meshes with the pinion gear. In this case, rotation will be properly transmitted from the pinion gear to the first gear even though the pinion gear is disposed so that it is offset from the first gear.
As determined by a third aspect of the invention, the rotation transmission device is that according to the above-described aspects, and moreover wherein the second gear is a worm gear and the third gear is a worm wheel. In this case, rotation that is transmitted from the second gear to the third gear can be greatly reduced in speed, allowing the rate of back-and-forth movement of the spool to be effectively reduced with respect to the rotation of the handle.
The rotation transmission device as determined by a fourth aspect of the invention is the device according to the first or second aspects, yet further wherein the second gear is a screw gear and the third gear is a screw gear that meshes with the second gear. Herein, enlarging the gear-down ratio is difficult, but manufacture is easier.
As determined by a fifth aspect of the invention, a spinning-reel rotation transmission device is that according to any of the first to fourth aspects, further wherein the linking shaft is disposed diagonally to the reel unit. In this case, even though a linking shaft is provided, a good balance can be maintained in the size in the horizontal (left and right) direction and in the vertical (up and down) direction while the reel unit can be made more compact.
The rotation transmission device as determined by a sixth aspect is that according to any of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, and moreover wherein the reciprocative shifting mechanism is a traverse cam type of reciprocative shifting mechanism that reciprocatingly shifts the spool in engagement with the rotation of a spiral shaft disposed parallel to the pinion gear, and the third gear is non-rotatably fitted to the spiral shaft. In this case, a larger gear-down ratio can be obtained than when the rotation of the pinion gear is transmitted directly to the spiral shaft.
The spinning-reel rotation transmission device as determined by a seventh aspect of the present invention is the device according to any of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the first bearing component is fitted in a through hole in the reel unit that is formed to the rear of the rotor of the spinning reel and has an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the second gear, and the second gear is disposed at one end of the linking shaft and has the same diameter as the first gear or a larger diameter than the first gear. In this case, because the first bearing component is fitted in a through hole formed to the rear of the rotor, and the diameter of the second gear which is closer to the first bearing component is smaller than that of the first gear, the linking shaft can be removed from the through hole along with both of these gears merely by removing the first bearing component from the reel unit. Accordingly, there is no need to remove the rotor or open any other portion of the reel unit and take out the parts of the reciprocative shifting mechanism or the spool shaft, which facilitates the maintenance of the rotation transmission device.
As determined by an eighth aspect of the invention, a spinning-reel rotation transmission device is that according to any of the first to seventh aspects, yet further wherein the gear ratio between the pinion gear and the third gear is between 4:1 and 24:1. In this case, the fishing line can be wound more closely onto the spool because the reciprocative shifting mechanism side is geared-down compared to the conventional configuration.
As determined by a ninth aspect rotation transmission device is that according to any of the preceding aspects, and additionally wherein the first bearing component has a lid member detachably fitted to the reel unit, and a ball bearing fitted to the lid member, with one end of the linking shaft being rotatably supported by the ball bearing. In this case, rotation efficiency is higher because the linking shaft is supported by a ball bearing.
From the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art.